title: Merkel cell polyomavirus in Merkel cell carcinoma of Italian patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a rare but very aggressive human malignancy of elderly or immunosuppressed patients. Clonal integration of a new human polyomavirus, the Merkel cell polyomavirus (MCPyV), has been reported in MCC patients. The main objective of the study was the detection of MCPyV and viral expression in clinical samples of Italian patients who were diagnosed MCC.
  
  
  RESULTS
  DNA and RNA were extracted from nine MCCs to detect the presence of MCPyV. Viral large T gene (LT1 and LT3), and viral capsid gene (VP1) were detected by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based methods, and the amplified PCR products were subjected to direct sequencing. The presence of viral T antigen and/or viral capsid DNA sequences was demonstrated in eight of the nine MCC lesions, whereas RNA transcripts were detected in three MCCs.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These findings indicate a potential role of MCPyV in the pathogenesis of at least a subset of MCCs.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Virology, Regina Elena Cancer Institute Via delle Messi d'Oro 156 00158 Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Paolini
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Donati
authors.forename: Ada
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Amantea
authors.forename: Stefania
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bucher
authors.forename: Emilia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Migliano
authors.forename: Aldo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Venuti
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D015266:Carcinoma, Merkel Cell / Q000821:virology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D011120:Polyomavirus / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D027601:Polyomavirus Infections / Q000821:virology*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000821:virology*; D014764:Viral Proteins / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D014764:Viral Proteins